Cataloged as NGC 7635, it is also known simply as The Bubble Nebula. Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. Above and right of the Bubble's center is a hot, O-type star, several 100,000 times more luminous and approximately 45 times more massive than the Sun. A fierce stellar wind and intense radiation from that star has blasted out the structure of glowing gas against denser material in a surrounding molecular cloud. The intriguing Bubble Nebula lies a mere 11,000 light-years away toward the boastful constellation Cassiopeia.

Imaging Data

Date: 8-26-2010

Location : Sudbury, Massachusetts

Optics : televue 85 Apochromatic Refractor F5.6

Filter(s) : None

Mount : Great Polaris Mount

Autoguiding : None

Camera : Canon EOS 1000D Astro-modified

Exposure info : 30 x 25 second Exposures @ISO 1600

Total Exposure : 12.5 minutes